INTERNATIONAL. US$28,000 to fund 112 cleft operations, more than 4,250 trees to be planted, and US$16,000 in support of Women in Travel Retail’s ImpactHK charity.
Travel retail is not just about sales and profits, nor is the Virtual Travel Retail Expo. Caring for people and caring for the planet lie at the heart of our sector’s soul and at the philosophical epicentre of this event.
As reported, The Moodie Davitt Report pledged to fund a cleft operation through Smile Train for every paid exhibitor at the pioneering Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
We pointed out many times that some 200,000 babies are born every year with cleft lips and/or palates and that US$250 funds the cost of the 45-minute cleft surgery that transforms the life of a child – and that of his or her family.
The Moodie Davitt Report is proud to announce that it will contribute US$28,000 to fund 112 cleft operations, one for every paid stand at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “Simply making this donation puts a smile on my face – and a normalised one on the faces of 112 children, whose suffering, shame and stigma will soon be over. Thank you to our exhibitor partners and Smile Train for allowing this to happen.”
We also pledged to plant a tree in support of the The Trinity Forest Project for every visitor to the Virtual Travel Retail Expo. And our one visitor = one tree formula means that, with unique visitor numbers exceeding the 4,250 mark by midnight 15 October Singapore time, we are going to be very busy tree planting in coming weeks.
The Trinity Forest Project, soft launched at The Trinity Forum in Doha last year, is powered by One Tree Planted, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation. The same principle will underpin all future Virtual Expos run by the Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo Company.
The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt said: “The eco-friendly credentials of this Expo are obvious. But we wanted to underline our belief in and commitment to sustainability with meaningful financial action too and so are delighted to make this substantial donation.”
FILTR, The Moodie Davitt Report’s partner in curating the Virtual Travel Retail Expo, announced yesterday a hefty US$16,000 donation to ImpactHK. FILTR pledged to donate a portion of all design fees from the Expo to the charity.
ImpactHK supports the homeless in Hong Kong with a particular focus on women and the aged. Women on the streets, as in many other cities, are particularly vulnerable and susceptible to abuse and attack.
Speaking at a virtual meeting of Women in Travel Retail members yesterday, FILTR Operations Director Lucy Hillyard (below) said: “We really felt that the ImpactHK message of #kindnessmatters has never seemed more apt than this year. We wanted to step up and do something to help.”
